Starting Over
by Rose Stetson
Summary: The Tok'ra send Jacob home, and he becomes accustomed to life with his family when he's recalled. Will he leave his new life? Or will he and Selmak go their separate ways?
1. Dad's Home

**Starting Over**

AU- Season 8-ish, Sam and Jack are married with two kids, Goa'uld are still a threat, etc.

The SGC was relatively quiet with no Gate activity, no threat of impending doom or even any explosions from Felger's lab. And Major General Jack O'Neill had NO idea of what he should do to fill the ever expanding void. He tried to play with his yoyo and his game boy. He tried to bug Carter and Daniel in their labs. He tried to spar with Teal'c. He tried to play ping-pong with Walter. He had even read all of the reports he had been procrastinating for so long. But after all this was done, the fact remained that Jack O'Neill was BORED OUT OF HIS MIND!

Currently, he was considering calling up his old pal, General George Hammond and telling him that the SGC had burned down, but he didn't think that would be believable enough to cause a good reaction. But before he got the chance to think of something better, the Stargate activated.

"YES!" He yelled, jumping out of his chair, practically running down the stairs to the control room.

Colonel Samantha Carter watched her husband in amusement as he flew down the stairs.

"Excited?" She asked as she began looking at the monitor in front of her.

Jack coughed as he slowed down and tried to regain his composure. "Are we getting an IDC?"

"Yes, sir." Walter replied. "It's the Tok'ra."

"Dad's not due for a visit, is he?" Jack asked as he nodded for the iris to be opened.

"I don't think so," Sam said, honestly searching her mind. "Then again, you are talking to the woman who forgot her daughter's preschool graduation last week."

Jack smiled. "It's a good thing we were both on the base, huh?"

"Grace would never have forgiven me." Sam agreed.

"Oh, sure she would have!' Jack said, escorting Sam into the Gate room. "Because she's just like her mother!"

Sam turned a raised eyebrow to her husband. "What'd you do?"

Jacob walked down the ramp.

"Jacob!" Jack said, effectively side-stepping his wife's question.

"Jack. Sam." He gave his daughter a hug.

"Hi Dad."

"Now…what does Jack need forgiving for?"

"I don't know." Sam said, returning her gaze to her husband.

"It's nothing!" He protested.

"What was it?"

He took a deep breath. "Well, I…mighthaveblownupyourdoohickey."

She stared at him while Jacob's eyebrows were raised. "Uh, Jack, Selmak is a gifted translator, but…we didn't catch that."

"He managed to blow up the Goa'uld scanner that I was studying. You know, the one we got from Anubis's ship. We were about ready to make a breakthrough."

Jack smiled almost sheepishly as Jacob took a step away from his son-in-law. "Oh, this is all you, Jack."

"I know." He said, gulping. "You think there's still space on Netu?"

His attempt at humor backfired when Sam unexpectedly left the Gate Room silently.

"So…not funny.'

Jacob shook his head. "Not really."

Jack grimaced for a second. "She's been under a lot of pressure to study that from the Pentagon. It was originally of Asgard design which makes it that much worse. What she didn't let me explain was that Thor already offered us another one and it will be here tomorrow."

"How're you gonna get that message to her?"

"I'm gonna e-mail her."

"E-mail?"

"Yeah…unfortunately, I have to debrief you, then I have a briefing with SG-4, and the list goes on and on. So, what's the scoop?"

"No scoop." Jacob said as they walked up to the Briefing Room.

"What? Just a visit? My, this IS an occasion!"

Jacob rolled his eyes. "I heard my granddaughter graduated from preschool last week."

"Yes, she did."

"Good for her!"

"And she's been missing her grandpa Jacob."

"And Jack, Jr.?"

"Running around as usual. Driving all of us crazy with boundless energy while Grace contents herself with asking an endless stream of questions."

Jacob chuckled. "Sounds like her mother."

"Yep."

"Well, are you and Sam heading home anytime soon?"

"Not me, but Sam should be on her way in the next hour or so."

"Do I have permission to leave the base, oh great one?" Jacob asked before walking toward Sam's lab.

Jack thought for a moment, his arms across his chest with one finger stroking his chin. "I suppose you might be able to…after Dr. Fraiser issues you a clean bill of health."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "You know that I don't have a physician. Selmak does all that I need."

"Ah, but you forget. If I have to endure the Napoleonic power-monger's needles, all personnel who come to the base must endure the Napoleonic power-monger's needles."

Jacob smiled. "You're impossible."

"Why, thank you."

Jacob shook his head as they parted, Jacob turning to go to the Infirmary and Jack to go to his office.

--

Sam wiped the tears from her eyes. It was so unreasonable for her to get so upset at her husband over one of her 'doohickeys.'

But it was one of the things that she had been studying for months, and it was just about to yield some results. The angry part of her ranted that he should have known better than to touch it, but the hurt part of her sobbed over the fact that he seemingly would have chosen Netu- the very real hell- to her minor tantrum.

Maybe it's not so minor a tantrum, she thought angrily to herself.

"Sam?"

She turned. "Dad."

"Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Just a little upset. I mean…I've been studying this for a long time and in a matter of minutes, he destroyed it."

"Have you tried giving him the benefit of the doubt?" Jacobasked, simply.

Shelooked at her father sheepishly. It gave him all the answers he needed to know. "I'm sure he didn't mean to do it."

She nodded. "The kids will be anxious to see you. Are you ready to go home?"

"Yeah." He said, following her out of her lab.

As they got into the elevator, she turned to her dad. "Hey, has Jack cleared you to go home?"

"Yes, Sam." He said, as if he was a teenager reporting to his mom.

She smiled and laughed. "Sorry…I have a tendency to mother everyone around me."

"That's okay."

"You should have been around the other day when I told Daniel not to forget to say 'please' and 'thank you' when he said he was going to Janet's house."

Jacob laughed. "Well, you sound like a mom to me."

--

Jack walked into the house a few hours later, a bouquet of yellow roses in one hand. The house was quiet- a good sign, he hoped. It could mean that the kids were in bed. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hi, Jack."

Jack looked up not to find his wife, but his father-in-law. "Oh, hi, Jacob. You know where Sam is?"

"She's soaking in the tub."

"She's mad at me."

"Not really. She's hurt by the Netu comment."

"Yeah, I probably shouldn't have said that."

Jacob shrugged. "We all do stuff like that. Just tell her that you're a stupid man, and you'll be good."

Jack nodded. "So…before I go and grovel, are the kids in bed?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Then, I'll go and kiss them good night before I go and apologize for being such a simple man."

He walked into his daughter's bedroom and leaned over the edge of the toddler bed. He brushed her brown hair from her face and kissed her cheek. "I love you." He whispered.

She stirred. "Daddy?"

"Go back to sleep."

She settled back into her pillow. Then, he walked into his son's room. The two-year-old lay in the crib, his blond curls framing his face the way many cherubim had been painted. "Goodnight, Slugger."

JJ took a deep breath, settling a little more fully into his restful sleep.

Jack rubbed his son's tummy. "Love you, Bud."

Then, he took a deep breath as he walked out of his room. And now, to his wife. He sighed. He'd really screwed up this time. But she usually found his sardonic moments endearing.

A thought popped into his head, but he shook it off. Nope, there was no way they could be having another baby. Or was there?

He walked into the master bedroom. The overhead lights were off, and the soft glow of candlelight was the only illumination in the room. He walked over to the large Whirlpool tub in the corner of the Master bathroom. Sam lay in the tub, her eyes shut as the bubbles relaxed deep into her tight muscles.

Jack sat on the edge of the tub. "Hey, sweetheart."

She looked up. "Jack."

He produced the roses. The same type of flower that she had carried in her bridal bouquet. "Forgive me?"

She smiled. "Always."

Jack was somewhat suspicious of her quick approval of his forgiveness.

"Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no…I just…I kind of expected to have to do a lot more groveling."

She smiled. "I got your e-mail. I'm sorry I didn't give you the chance to explain the situation."

"And…I wasn't really the one who blew it up."

She nodded. "I know. Dr. Lee also e-mailed me. Apparently, he and Felger got excited. And we all know what happens when they get excited."

"Things tend to blow up around those two." Jack agreed.

"Chloe tried to stop them..."

"Yes, well, they don't exactly listen to anybody, much less Chloe."

She bit her lip. "Can we stop talking about Felger, Lee and Chloe?"

He grinned. "I think we can manage."

She gave him a seductive smile and ran her fingers through his hair. "Wanna join me...General?"

He was now thoroughly confused. Sam rarely initiated their physical intimacies. Usually, she liked it when he romanced her.

"Actually, Sam, I can't believe I'm saying this, but..."

She sat up, concerned. "What?"

"I...Can we talk?"

She nodded, motioning for her terry-cloth robe. Jack reached for it and helped her into it. "What's going on?"

"I'm worried about your dad."

"My dad?" She asked, sitting on the bed.

"Yeah. I…I don't think he's telling us everything."

"Are you suggesting the my dad has a mission in mind for the SGC like Anise?"

"No. I am, however, suggesting that you dad is trying to protect us from something."

She looked at him, confused. "What?"

He let his tongue slide across his bottom lip. "I got nothin'."

She shook her head in amusement, and placed her hand on his cheek. "I love you."

"D'ya think your dad's lonely?"

"What?" She asked, her haze clearing.

"Do you think you dad is lonely?"

"How could he be? He's go us and Mark's family. And that's not counting Selmak and the rest of the Tok'ra."

"Not that kind of lonely." He clarified.

She looked at him, eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Jack?"

"Well, every time your dad comes by, he complains about the 'Anises' of the Tok'ra. He wants to date, but he can't find anybody…"

"Whoa! His complaining about the Tok'ra who have roving hands and eyes doesn't mean he wants to date."

"Sam." He said, soothingly.

"Jack." She returned.

She was mad at him again. Great, the one night this year she hit on him, he went and blew it. Typical. Well, as long as he was already in the doghouse, he might as well spill everything Teal'c had told him.

Jack had to smile. The stoic Jaffa was well-acquainted with the inner workings of the SGC Rumor Mill. Though intimidating at first, he was fairly easy to talk to, making him an easy target for the nurses. And, as was the case with most Jaffa, he adhered to the philosophy that one must be seen and not heard.

"Why are you smiling?" Sam asked, grumpily.

"Oh, it's just something Teal'c told me that Lt. Kinsington told him that Lt. Martin told her."

Sam blinked a couple of times, blankly, "And that would be?"

"That your dad and Janet have a 'thing.'"

Sam's face drained of color, and she sat, motionless on the bed.

"Sam…" Jack said, waving a hand in front of her face. "Wake up. It's not true. You know as well as I do that Janet's dating Daniel."

She looked up at him, despondently. "They had a big fight." She returned her gaze to the flor. "How could she do that to me? She's like a sister to me. And Cassie…" She shuddered. "That just turns my stomach."

"Sam, your dad shares your feelings."

"Huh?"

"I made your dad get a physical before he could leave the base. Janet had just had that big fight with Daniel, and was practically throwing daggers with her eyes to anyone of the male gender."

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?"

"Be patient, darling."

She clenched her teeth as she ran her fingers through her wet hair. She hated to be called 'darling.'

"Sorry." He apologized. "Your dad apparently caught her on her lunch hour. She was crying and0 brave soul that he is- he approached her."

Sam couldn't take it anymore. The rolling in the pit of her stomach turned to a bit of a bubbling. She dashed to the bathroom, throwing up her dinner.

"Sam, are you okay?" Jack asked as she walked out of the bathroom.

She simply wiped her mouth, her eyes spitting venom as she did so. Jack gulped. Maybe dog-house was too kind. Perhaps dog-meat was more accurate.

"Well, he asked what was wrong, so she of course tried to act as if nothing was wrong."

Sam closed her eyes and got into bed.

"Anyway, he told her that he didn't believe her. He sat next to her and put his arm around her."

Sam began to look a little green again.

"No, Sam, please…wait for me to finish. He told her to pretend that he was her father. Needless to say, she spilled."

There was a moment in which Jack wasn't sure what would happen, but all of a sudden, she burst into tears. "That's so cute." She said, grabbing a tissue and dabbing at her nose and eyes.

Jack eyed Sam wearily. She tended to have major mood swings when she was pregnant. And, come to think of it, she initiated intimacy when she was pregnant. Suddenly, all of the puzzle pieces connected, making a very beautiful, and somewhat intimidating, picture.

"Sam, honey…" He said, gently.

"What?"

"Is there…any possiblity that you're, um…"

"What, Jack?"

Time to put everything as delicately as possible and prepare to flee if it wasn't delicate enough. "Pregnant?"

She looked visibly startled. This could go either way at this point, he thought.

"Uh, well…I guess there's…always a chance." She stammered.

He gave a sigh of relief. "'Cuz you're…a little…" Delicately, Jack. He reminded himself.

"A little what?"

"Hormonal." He said, rather bluntly. Way to go, Jack! He said, sarcastically in his mind.

"One can be hormonal for more reasons than being pregnant." She pointed out, smiling.

"Yeah."

"Are you just trying to get out of my plans for the evening?" She asked, suggestively, allowing the collar of her robe to slip down her shoulder, teasing him with sensuality.

"Your wish is my command." He said, before succumbing to her suggestions. After all...he was just a man.


	2. Discussions Over Coffee

"Hey, Dad." Sam said, walking into the kitchen the next morning.

"Hi, Sammy."

She smiled. "You haven't called me that for a few years."

"Well…" He said, shrugging. "I haven't exactly been around that often over the last few years."

"So, Jack made the coffee," Sam said, reaching for a glass.

"Actually, I did." Jacob said, not looking up from his paper.

"Oh." She said, genuinely surprised. "You're losing your touch."

Jacob looked over his paper at his daughter. "Huh?"

"Your coffee used to be…more appealing than Jack's." She said, reaching for the orange juice.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Jacob said, drinking his own glass of orange juice.

She turned. "Why aren't you drinking coffee?"

"Selmak doesn't like it." He said, simply, returning to his paper.

"You gave up coffee for your symbiote?" She asked, feeling bad about refusing to drink his coffee.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"It's no big deal." He said, not even glancing up from the international news column.

"No. I'm sorry for not realizing that you made the coffee for us."

Jacob shrugged. "It's okay. I guess I should have realized that not everyone wants a cup of coffee in the morning."

"Dad."

"Sam, I said it's okay."

"No, it's not. Did Jack even try it?"

Jacob set down the paper. "Yes, Sam. He had a cup on his way in to the SGC. He had to be there early this morning."

"So, that's for me."

"I said it was fine."

She reached for a coffee mug and poured the last of the coffee into it. "The least I can do is finish it off."

She forced herself to drink half of the cup over the next few minutes, while Jacob picked his paper back up. Yep, her father had definitely lost his touch. It wasn't that the coffee was bad, necessarily, it was actually quite good. It just…didn't hit the spot like her father's coffee had done before.

"It's good coffee." She said, forcing a smile.

"Sam, why is this so important to you?" He said, setting the paper down for good.

"What?"

"This coffee thing. Why's it bothering you? I told you I'm fine."

"It's not bothering me."

"Then, why are you making such a big deal about it? If you don't want coffee, don't drink it."

She took a deep breath, setting down the coffee and picking up her orange juice. "So, Jack had to go in early?"

Jacob picked his paper back up, grateful that the crisis had been successfully dealt with. "Yep."

"Dad…"

"What?"

"Can you at least put the paper down?"

"Why? I'm catching up."

"Well, you know, we don't get to talk a lot. And you seem to have a lot on your mind."

"Sam, I'm on vacation. I'm trying not to think of anything." He said, complying with his daughter's request.

"Well, Jack doesn't think so. He suggested that there was something that you're not telling us."

Jacob masked his surprise rather well. Had the Tok'ra called ahead to warn Jack of his senile father-in-law and the senile Tok'ra that shared his body? Had they told him that nothing he said could be trusted? Just the product of an overactive imagination?

"You told him to jump in a lake, didn't you?"

She smiled. "Well, I did ask him if he meant a mission for the SGC like Anise."

"And?"

"He said that he thought you were lonely, rather than an actual mission."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "With Selmak in my head? Never."

"He meant…a different kind of lonely."

Jacob reached for his daughter's hand, supportively. "It's sweet of you two to worry about me. But I'm fine. Really."

She nodded. "I know, Dad."

"_You're lying."_ Selmak whispered.

"**No. I'm reassuring my daughter."** Jacob replied.

"_You're lonely. But you don't want her to think that you're being unfaithful to her mother's memory."_

"**Would you please be quiet?"**

"_Listen, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to start dating, Jacob. You and I are going to be here for a long time, after all."_

"**Yeah. Can I please wait a while before I tell Sam that her husband's thoughts were right? That the Tok'ra council thinks that we're crazy and that nothing either one of us can be trusted as genuine intel?"**

"_I wasn't the one who spilled the name of the system lord. If you hadn't told Garshaw that it was Zeus, we wouldn't be in this mess!"_

"**Aw, shut up!"**

"_Excuse me?"_

"**You heard me. I said, shut up!"**

"_Fine!"_

Jacob breathed a sigh of relief. Now, that his thoughts were his own, he could finally ask what had been on his mind. "Sam, is there any chance that you and Jack have something to tell me?"


	3. I'm What?

"Sam!" Janet said, passing her friend in the hallway.

"Janet!"

"How are you feeling today?"

"Would everyone just stop treating me like I'm pregnant? I'm NOT pregnant!" She said, somewhat exasperated. First Jack, then her father, then Daniel and Teal'c…and now, Janet! What was wrong with everyone? She would know if she was pregnant, after all, she had known when she had been pregnant with her other two children.

"Okay." Janet said, cautiously. "When did I say anything about you being pregnant? I was just asking how you are today."

Sam took a deep breath and looked apologetically at her friend. "Sorry. Jack, Dad, Daniel and Teal'c all think that I'm pregnant."

"Are you?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Janet…"

"Look, would it really be such a bad thing if you were?"

She shook her head. "Janet, it's not a question about it being a good or a bad thing. It's just that I don't want people not taking me seriously because I've been 'labeled.' It's kind of like some guy coming up to you and saying that you must be PMS-ing, because you're a little irritable."

"I can give you a check-up, if you want." She said, not deterred by Sam's defensive position.

"Janet, do you know something that I don't?" She asked, somewhat frustrated.

"No. But, if you are pregnant, I know you'll want to start taking better care of yourself. And if you're not, what better way to shut the guys up than to know for sure?"

Sam chewed the flesh on the inside of her lip, looking at Janet, thoughtfully. "Okay, when do you have the time?"

"Right now, and I'll have the results before lunch."

--

"Sam?" Janet asked, entering the lab a few hours later.

"Yeah?" She answered, studying some of the technologies in her lab.

"I have the results."

She looked up.

"You're pregnant."

Sam's eyes widened. "I am?"

"Yep. I double-checked my results to be sure."

"Wow."

"You had no idea?"

She shook her head. "So much for woman's intuition."

"Well, I did have an idea, but…I didn't want to say anything until you came to me."

"But, Janet, you're a doctor. You're trained to see changes in people's health at a moment's notice."

"This had nothing to do with that." She stated honestly.

"What do you mean?"

"Sam, you tend to have…less patience when you're pregnant. And you have mood swings…"

"How bad?" Sam asked, almost afraid to hear the verdict.

"Pretty bad." She answered, vaguely. "But on the flip side, you get more maternal…"

She closed her eyes in recognition. "Yeah, I told Daniel not to forget to say please and thank you at Aunt Janet's house." She said, an embarrassed smile on her face.

"You did?"

"Well, I have you or Cassie watch the kids so often that I feel like that's the only thing I say to the kids when I'm home."

"How did he react?"

"He looked at me, somewhat confused and said: yes, mom."

Janet laughed.

"Okay…on to the hard part. How do I tell Jack?"

Janet looked at her friend with a quizzical eye. "Isn't he happy about the prospect of having another child?"

"Oh…yeah. That's not what I meant. I meant…I don't know what I mean." She said, sitting on the chair near her desk.

"Oh, you meant the extravagance of the official announcement."

She nodded.

"Sam, just tell him. You spend so much time worrying about making it perfect, and he really just wants to know."

She looked at her friend and nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

"No problem."

--

Sam came home a little early to find her father outside with the kids. "Dad!"

"You're home early."

She shrugged. "Nothing for me to do. Jack's tied up in negotiations with Daniel, Teal'c went off-world with SG-9, and the Asgard scanner was shipped to Area 51 this morning. I decided I'd come home and see what you and the kids were up to."

"Oh, just playing in the yard, as you can see."

She smiled. "Grace! Jack!"

Both came running. "Mommy!" They squealed.

"Grampa made a new friend!" Grace said, excitedly as she led Sam onto the porch swing in the backyard.

"Dad?" She asked. Her father had not been one to "make friends" before. That had been her mother's job and he tagged along for the ride.

"What? Your neighbor, Mrs. Watley, stopped by, and I merely made polite conversation with her."

She raised an eyebrow as she sat on the swing and lifted the four-year-old onto her lap. "When do you make polite conversation with anybody? Has Selmak been rubbing off on you?"

"It not Se'mak, Mommy!" Jack, Jr. insisted. "It Grampa!"

"Oh, by the way, you, Jack, and I are invited to Maria's house for dinner on Wednesday night. I wasn't sure if you'd be able to make it, but…"

"A double date, Dad?"

"No. Just a group of people dining together in a friend's home."

"Grampa said that Danny or T might come and stay wif us while you go." Grace said, knowledgably.

"I see."

"Pease! Can Danny come!"

"I like T!"

"What if I ask them both to come?" Sam asked, ending the argument swiftly.

"Yay!" Came the enthusiastic response from both children.

"I see you're thinking about accepting her invitation." He said, a smile on his face.

"Only because I want to see you flirt!" She said with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

--

Jack reclined in his chair and rubbed his eyes wearily. The negotiations had been long and difficult, but in the end, Daniel had turned the arduous day into a success. "Daniel." He said to the archaeologist standing outside his door.

"Yes, Jack?"

"Take a couple of days off. You deserve them."

He anticipated the look of confusion on Daniel's face. "Daniel, I could use a few days off, and I didn't do anything except listen to you and Ambassador Ref'mar negotiate."

"You did throw in a few key points." Daniel said, helpfully.

"Daniel, you're going to take the day off tomorrow or so help me…"

"Okay."

He sat back up, and looked at the papers on his desk. There was a never-ending stack of paperwork still to be sorted, signed, etc. He let out a sigh before catching a note on his desk in Sam's handwriting. _Need to talk to you. Love, Sam._

He looked back up at Daniel. "You seen Sam today?"

"No. I've spent my whole day in those negotiations with you. If you haven't seen her, I haven't seen her."

"Right."

He stood up. "Well, take the day off tomorrow, and if you're good, I'll commute your sentence to one day."

Daniel shook his head as he followed his friend out the door.

He arrived at Sam's lab to find it empty. Luckily for him, Janet passed by the door. "Doc, do you know where Sam is?"

"I think she went home. She wasn't feeling well."

"Really?"

"Either that or she didn't have anything else to do."

"Don't ever say that again, Doctor. That's what the end of the world looks like to me." He said, mockingly.

She smiled. "Good night, General."

"Good night, Doctor."

--

Jack walked into the quiet house, finding the kitchen clean, the kids in bed and only a few houselights on. He walked carefully into the master bedroom where he found Sam lying asleep in her pajamas underneath the English Rose patterned covers on the king sized bed, while one of their home videos played in the background.

He smiled at the sight. She had been working hard over the last few weeks, and deserved the extra hours of quality sleep. He turned the video off, and began undressing, preparing to go to bed himself.

"They grow up so quickly," she said, softly.

He turned. Sam hadn't been deeply asleep, and turning off the television had actually awakened her.

"Sam."

"Jack." She said, a sleepy smile on her lips.

"Who grows up so quickly?"

"Kids."

He nodded. "Yeah. But that's what they do."

She smiled. "I know."

By now, he was fully clothed in his own pajamas and walked over to his side of the bed. "I just got your message."

"I figured I'd be lucky if you'd even seen it at all." She said, with a smile.

He gave her a sarcastic smile. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

She took a deep breath, playing with her hands as she tried to word all of the feelings in her heart correctly.

"You were right." She finally said.

"About?"

"Everything."

He gave her a confused look, and she smiled. "You ready to start redecorating the nursery?"

His eyes widened. "You're really…?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"That's great!"

Tears moistened her eyes. "Yeah."

"There's something else, isn't there?"

She nodded. "You were right about my dad too."

His eyebrows shot up. "Which part?"

"He managed to get himself and us invited to dinner at Maria Watley's house for dinner on Wednesday."

"YOUR dad?"

She nodded. "The one and only."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope. He was remarkably…calm about it. Let's see what happens Wednesday night, huh?"

"Well, I'll be…"

"But Jack, I'm not sure that this is exactly a good thing."

Jack looked at her, somewhat alarmed. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Well, think about it. Selmak would have to be completely silent through the whole evening, and if he should start dating, what happens when he has to go back to the Tok'ra? What happens if he dies 'in the line of duty?'"

"Sam, we'll figure it out."

She cuddled up to him, and nodded. "I know." Then, she looked up at him, a sheepish smile on her face. "But sometimes, I wish there was a right answer to life."

He smiled as he kissed the top of her head. "There is."

She looked up at him. "Is what?"

"A right answer to life."

She raised her eyebrows, now perfectly interested in what he had to say. "Go on."

"It's called living it. Something that we've both learned how to do."

She cuddled in closer as he turned out his lamp. "Together."


	4. Preparing

Wednesday night found Sam was digging in her closet for something to wear to dinner at Maria Watley's house. "Dad, what are we supposed to wear to dinner tonight?" She called.

"Business casual." He replied from the other room

Sam looked up, surprised. "She said that?"

"Sam!"

"Sorry." She called back.

She grabbed a few of the clothes hanging in her closet and started hastily going through them. Under her breath, Jack could hear her saying, "No. No. No. No." This pattern continued rather quickly, only about one second between each 'no' until he walked up to her and placed his hands around her waist.

"Hey. Relax."

She took a deep breath. "Sorry. I just…my dad's stressing me out about this…"

"I know." He said, an amused smile on his face. "But this is your dad's first date in a long time. He's probably just a little nervous."

"Jack, you didn't date much before you and I started dating, and you weren't half as nervous as he is."

"Oh…don't be fooled. You didn't get the behind-the-scenes footage."

"Okay, you were more nervous than you let on…but were you ever THIS nervous?"

He looked over at the door, as if seeing Jacob on the other side of it, "Not quite." He said, trying to look like he'd been more confident.

She laughed and took the hangar holding her khaki pants out of her closet. She started to undress and tried to put the pants on, but they wouldn't button, and she looked quizzically at them. She moved in front of the mirror and stood profile to it, studying her figure.

"Something wrong?" Jack asked, watching the interesting actions of his wife.

"My pants don't fit…"

"Well," Jack began hesitantly. "You are pregnant."

"I know…but…" She tried again to button the pants to no avail. "I didn't gain this much weight this early with the other two."

Jack wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Oh well…" She said, taking the pants off. "I'll just wear the denim jumper that I got when I was first expecting Grace. It doesn't look like a maternity dress…" She pulled it on and stood in front of the mirror. "Jack…"

"Yes?"

"Give me your honest opinion…"

Those words never bode well for a man, he had learned.

"About what?"

"Does this dress make me look fat?"

Dun dun dun…he thought. He started sweating a little…oh boy…the right answer…that would be…

The doorbell rang and Jack was almost instantly at the door. Saved by the bell, he thought. And just in time…

"That's probably Danny and Teal'c. I should get that."

She nodded, still standing in front of the mirror, hand flattening the material covering her stomach, trying to determine how much weight she had gained and whether or not the dress would be flattering at this stage of her pregnancy.


	5. Dinner and Dessert

"Jacob! Samantha! Jack! Thanks for coming!" Maria Watley said as she opened the door.

The sixty-five year old woman was wearing tan slacks and a striped, ribbed t-shirt. The skin around her eyes and mouth were creased with wrinkles, indicating that she had always been a very smiley person. Her light brown hair was not showing much sign of graying, though it was more fine and delicate than it had been when she had been younger. And while she had no grandchildren of her own, she often spoiled the O'Neill children when she saw them.

"Come in!" She said, herding the three adults into her living room. "Come in!"

"Thank you for inviting us." Sam said, dressed in a navy blue a-line skirt that came to her knee with a light blue two-piece sweater set.

"Oh, you're so very welcome! It's not often that both you and Jack are around to invite over, and…your father is rarely ever here. I feel blessed that I was able to reach all three of you for dinner tonight."

She almost instantly pointed them in the direction of the table where Maria and Sam sat across from one another, Jack and Jacob sitting next to them. They dished up the Caesar salad, grilled chicken breasts, pasta, alfredo sauce, breadsticks and steamed broccoli up rather quickly, and then settled in to chat over the marvelous meal. It seemed that someone had mentioned to Maria the possibility of Sam being pregnant since, instead of wine, they were served a white grape raspberry juice that had Sam salivating for more.

Note to self, she thought, get more white grape raspberry juice.

In other words, ask Jack to get some tonight.

"Samantha, how are Grace and Jack, Jr. doing?"

"Well, aside from the fact that Jack, Jr. stood up and announced at breakfast this morning that his name is no longer Jack, Jr., and is now in fact, JJ, they're doing fine. Thanks for asking."

Maria smiled. "Well, they're little darlings. When Jacob brought them over the other day, I couldn't resist inviting them in for lemonade and cookies."

Sam looked at her dad. He hadn't told her about that…

Jack and Sam shared a look after noticing that Jacob didn't want to talk about it.

"And they are so well-behaved. Neither one of them had to be reminded about their manners." She said, impressed. "They are such angels!"

"Thank you." Jack said, placing his hand on Sam's as if to communicate his excitement about her pregnancy.

Jacob coughed, breaking the moment, and Maria began a new line of conversation. "So, you're all in the Air Force, correct?"

"That's correct."

"And you're all active?"

Sam and Jack both nodded, but Jacob shook his head. "I retired."

Sam and Jack shared a look of surprise before looking at Jacob. "You are?"

"It's a recent development." He said, giving Sam a look that silenced any further questions.

"And while you're getting readjusted to life in America, you're staying with the O'Neills?"

"Actually, just until I find an apartment. I start house-hunting next week."

Both Sam and Jack were more than a little shell-shocked to hear all of this. House hunting? Retirement? SINCE WHEN? No wonder he was willing to try to have a relationship, they realized.

Suddenly, they realized that she had just insinuated that he had been out of the country. Mental note, Jack thought, make sure to ask Jacob just what he said to Maria about his…work.

"Samantha?" Maria asked after a long pause. "I know it's gone without saying, so far, but…if you ever need someone to watch your children, please call. I could be over there in a moment."

Sam looked at Jack, seemingly communicating that this new intel would be useful in six or seven months. They both filed it away and turned back to the conversation. "Thank you. We'll keep that in mind."

Once again, the conversation lulled into silence, and now, Jack decided to break the ice. "That was a wonderful meal."

"Thank you."

"Yes, it was delicious." Sam said, though she had eaten very little.

"Add my compliments to the chef." Jacob said with a smile.

Maria's face held a rather large grin. "Thank you."

She stood up and reached for the dishes, but Jacob reached them first. "Allow me." He said, taking the dishes into the kitchen.

Maria smiled in appreciation and turned to Sam and Jack. "We'll meet in the living room for tea."

Jack got up and slid Sam's chair out for her.

"Thank you." She said, touched by the simple act of chivalry.

"Hey, I can't be outshined by your father, can I?" He said, playfully.

She chuckled.

They sat together on the loveseat where Sam cuddled up to Jack, entwining her fingers in his. Maria and Jacob arrived, Jacob carrying a tea tray, and Maria carrying a plate of small butter cookies. Soon, everyone had their cups of tea and a couple of the butter cookies, and they settled in to chat. "So, tell us more about yourself, Maria. We'd love to get to know you better."

"Well, I was married for about thirty years before my husband died. Our only son, Mark, died in the first Gulf War. He wasn't married, so I don't have any grandchildren of my own. That's why I appreciate you allowing me to be a surrogate grandmother to your children."

"We love having you, Maria." Sam said, sincerely.

"Anyway, Mark was a captain in the Air Force."

Sam suddenly pulled away from Jack, sitting up in surprise. "Captain Mark Watley? I served with him."

"You did?" Both Jack and Jacob asked, simultaneously.

"Yes, I did. He was one of the officers that helped me celebrate my promotion to Captain!"

Maria stood up. "I might have something…will you excuse me for a moment, please?"

"So…it's a small world after all…" Jack said dryly, putting his arm around Sam again.

Maria returned carrying a small shoebox in her hands. She set it on the coffee table and opened it. Near the top was a letter folded over a photograph. "He sent this a few weeks before I got the call."

She sent the photo over to Sam, and she smiled despite the tears in her eyes. "That was the party that the guys insisted on having for me." She laughed. "It was also the day that I was being shipped home. I'll never forget the impromptu speech he made in front of everyone in the company: To our little lieutenant! She grew up so fast, and now she's leaving us!"

Maria's eyes were shining with tears and Jacob looked over in sympathy. "He told me that you saved his life once."

Sam was now biting her lip to keep from crying even more. Jack's hand gently rubbed her back, comfortingly. "I didn't do anything for him that he wouldn't have done for me."

Maria nodded. "Well, thank you."

"No, thank you. He was a good friend."

Jack quickly learned when Sam was pregnant with Grace that when she wanted to leave, she would curl up to his chest in a certain way. It was a nonverbal signal that had read incorrectly a few times, and paid for it dearly.

"Well, Maria, it's been nice chatting with you. Unfortunately, I think it's probably time for us to check in on the kiddos. You know, make sure they actually went to bed, and that their uncles aren't spoiling them rotten…"

Maria nodded, standing up as Jack and Sam did so as well. "Thank you for coming over. And…if you're around with a little extra time, don't be strangers."

Jacob stood, but Sam put her hand on his arm. "Dad, if you don't want to go, you don't have to come."

Maria looked over at him. "You're welcome to stay if you'd like."

_Stay, Jacob._

**Why?**

_Because all of us know that you want to stay!_

"I would love to."

"All right then, we'll see you later." Sam said, smiling.

They left and as they walked across the street, Jack leaned in to Sam. "You want to take a midnight stroll?" He whispered right next to her ear. His warm breath on her ear always made her insane.

"Yes…" Suddenly, she groaned, pulling away from him.

"What?"

"I have to go to the bathroom…AGAIN."

"Okay."

"But once I go inside, Daniel and Teal'c are going to think that's their cue to go and then…"

"Then, let's stargaze, shall we?"

She smiled. "Are you going all romantic on me?"

"Who? Me?"

"Yes, you."

"Couldn't be…"

"Jack…"

"Kidding. Look, I'll ask the guys to stay for another hour or two. You and I can have a moment on the roof, and then, we'll come down again. Promise."

She wrapped herself back into his embrace as they walked up to the door. "I love you." She whispered.

"Good. 'Cuz I love you too."

She turned on the front step so that she was facing him, still only inches from his face. "You are the most handsome, chivalrous, albeit sarcastic, man that I have ever met, Mr. O'Neill."

He stepped onto the same step that she was on. "And you…are the most brilliant, beautiful, woman it has ever been my privilege to love." He started nibbling on her ear, and she shivered with anticipation.

"You know what that does to me…" She whispered.

"Yeah…" He said. "And I promise you. You are the best looking pregnant woman in the world."

She closed her eyes as he moved down and kissed her neck.

"And. I. Want. You."

"Please, Jack…stop."

He stopped. "What? I was on a roll there…"

She grinned sheepishly. "I have to go to the bathroom!"

He shook his head as she took off running into the house.

Daniel and Teal'c stood in the kitchen, somewhat uncomfortably, as Jack walked in. Undoubtedly, they had seen more of the intimate life of the O'Neills than they had EVER wanted to see. "Uh…we're…uh…"

"We were considering our departure, O'Neill."

Jack nodded, not really sure of what they had just said. "Sure."

Almost instantly, the guys were gone. He walked toward the bedroom and he gasped at what he saw. "So…you still want me?"

The door was instantly shut and locked.


	6. Morning

_Jack came tumbling through the Stargate again to find Daniel, Sam and Teal'c standing at the base of the ramp, seemingly awaiting his safe arrival. "Sir!" Sam said, running toward him._

_He rolled over, looking into her blue eyes. "Carter!"_

"_You're all right?"_

"_Well, I don't have the headache from Hades anymore…if that's what you mean."_

"_What happened?" Daniel asked, curiously._

"_Well, let's see…there were these little guys that took that stuff out of my head…other than that…"_

"_What'd they look like? Were they humanoid aliens? Were they…I don't know…little green men?"_

"_Actually, they were like aliens out of really bad…old…sci-fi movies…think Roswell…"_

"_Really?" Sam asked, surprised._

"_Colonel, good to have you back." General Hammond said, walking into the Gate Room._

"_It's good to be back…for real this time…"_

_General Hammond nodded, slightly amused by O'Neill's sense of humor. "Have Dr. Fraiser examine you and then, we'll debrief."_

_Jack nodded, but all of SG-1 could hear him rant as he walked down to the infirmary. "More needles…I have the headache of the century and he sends me to the infirmary where they think that a needle in my butt will fix anything. And that penlight flashing into my eyes…"_

_Suddenly, his thoughts returned to Samantha Carter's clear blue eyes. They were so beautiful. It was a cliché, but he was positive that he could see through to her soul if he stared at them long enough. But unfortunately, any glimpses he got of her soul were few and far between as he never got the chance to stare into her eyes long enough to get there._

Now, those same blue eyes that had convinced him to retire and pursue a relationship with her were closed in sleep. He rolled over onto his side and propped himself up on one elbow, taking the opportunity to embrace the quietness of the house and study his bride of the last six years. She was glowing and he smiled with pride. This was the mother of his children. She stirred as he placed heis arm on her stomach protectively. Her eyes opened slowly and they stared into one another's eyes.

"Hey." He said, tenderly.

"Hey." She replied, a smile gracing her sleepy face.

He bent down and kissed her.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing."

She smiled even more. "Maybe I should do 'nothing' a little more often."

He laughed and kissed her again. "I love you."

"I love you too."

He settled back into the pillows beside her and let his fingers play with the sheet covering Sam's belly. "How's Junior?"

"Fine." She replied, a smile on her face. Ever since Grace, it had been Junior. They had tried UBO (Unborn Baby O'Neill) but the name was just too…awkward, and it hadn't stuck.

"Great."

"What were you thinking about?" She asked, allowing her arm to extend and started to play with her husband's hair.

"The Asgard."

"The Asgard?"

"Yep. After all, they had a hand in letting me ask you out."

"Maybe." She acknowledged.

"Maybe?" He asked, rather loudly.

"Shh! You'll wake up the kids." She said, with a chuckle.

"What do you mean 'maybe?'" He asked, pretending to be angry. "If they hadn't taken that stuff outta my head, I wouldn't have been alive to ask you out, let alone to ask you to marry me…and all that history stuff…"

She chuckled again, curling up against his chest. It always sobered her to realize just how close they had come to not having any of this…and just how close they came, rather frequently, to losing all of this. "I know."

He put his arm around her and held her, knowing that her mind was drifting to the dangerousness of their careers. "Hey, everything's going to be okay…"

She nodded and Jack kissed her again as JJ wailed. "MOMMY!"

"That kid has worse timing than Daniel!" He muttered as she pulled away from him.

She chuckled. "I don't know, Daniel's timing was perfect for you yesterday…"

"Huh?"

"Jack, I know you bolted from the room yesterday to avoid my question."

"What question?"

She shook her head. "You're hopeless, you know that?"

"Oh yeah…hopelessly in love with a brilliant astrophysicist United States Air Force Colonel."

"Lieutenant Colonel." She corrected as she rolled over and threw her feet over the edge.

"Yeah, maybe…"

She sat up, but as she did so, JJ wailed again. "MOMMY!"

She was on her feet a moment later, only to land on the floor thirty seconds after that.

She awoke to find Jack leaning over her. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Sorry…I guess I just moved too fast."

"Yeah, well, take it easy."

She gave him a look that reminded him that she hated to be told to take it easy, but then she softened as she tried to get up. Jack helped her up only to lead her back into bed.

"But…JJ!"

"I'll get him. And if he really needs to see his mommy, I can bring him in here, ok?"

She nodded, the room still somewhat fuzzy. They heard footsteps pad softly down the hallway and Jack turned to Sam. "You know, I bet that's your dad."

She nodded. "They're too heavy to be Grace's or JJ's."

Within a few moments, they could hear the soft giggling of both JJ and Grace.

"Well, there goes the rest of our quiet time." Jack said, pretending to be extremely mournful.

Sam laughed. "You are absolutely crazy…but I manage to love you anyway."

Jack smiled and shook his head as there was a timid knock at the door. Suddenly, Sam could hear Jacob: "Grace! No! Come on, Grampa will make pancakes."

"But I want Mommy and Daddy!" The little girl said, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Jack couldn't bear to listen to his little girl cry, and so he instantly opened the door. In the back of Sam's mind, she chuckled and thought: alone time? And he opens the door for the kids…that's my husband…

"Don't worry, Jake. We're awake. But thanks for the thought."

"No problem, Jack." Jacob said, handing JJ over to Jack while Grace scrambled onto the bed with Sam.

Jacob noticed Sam lying on the bed still, and knowing that Sam was usually up and functioning by the time the sum came up, took a step in. "You okay, Sam?"

"Yeah." She said, sitting up. "It's been a long week at work, and I'm just tired."

Jacob looked between Sam and Jack. "Well, you two, Selmak and I need to talk."

Jack nodded. "You're right…but this isn't the right time. I have to go in to the base today, but…I'll be back around 1400 hours, give or take a few emergencies." He looked into his son's face. "Right?"

"Wite!" The two-year-old affirmed.

"Do you really have to go?" Sam asked, somewhat vulnerably.

He turned. "Huh?"

She shook her head. "Never mind…it's…it's stupid."

"Sam…" Jack said, gently, but firmly.

"I just…I think I will go in to the infirmary."

"Okay…"

Jacob looked from his son-in-law to his daughter. "Grace, JJ, who wants to help Grampa make pancakes?"

Both children looked at their parents for assurance that they could go, and both parents gave their permission with the slight nod of the head. They both ran toward Jacob, nearly toppling him over with their combined strength. Sam couldn't help but chuckle, and Jacob went down laughing. It was another few moments before Jacob managed to get up and reached for the door handle. "I'll try to keep these two entertained while you two talk."

Sam smiled her gratitude. "Thanks, Dad."

"Hey, what are grampas for?"

"For running and jumping and playing…" Grace began, taking the rhetorical question as an opportunity to list off all of the favorite qualifications she saw in her grandfather.

The door was swiftly shut after this monologue began and Jack turned back to Sam, chuckling. "She's just like you." He said, with a smile.

"And Teal'c." She said, referencing the alien's initial questions regarding Earth culture.

"Hey! I'd like to think that she takes after her old man!"

"You're not an old man!" She said as he walked toward the bed.

"Maybe not, but I'm older than she is, and to her, I will always be an old man."

Sam shook her head, and Jack looked intently at her. "Sam, what was that about earlier?"

She shrugged. "I just…I want to spend today with you. I…I'm just disappointed that you have to go in today, that's all."

"Sam, if you don't want me to go in, I won't."

"Jack, they need you. You're their commanding officer, for cryin' out loud!"

Jack smiled and kissed her forehead. "For cryin' out loud?"

She closed her eyes, her body almost begging for sleep again. "Um-hm."

"I guess I'll see you at 1400 hours when I get back." He said, standing up.

She nodded absently, already half-way to the Land of Nod.


	7. Revelations

Sam dragged herself to the infirmary only a couple of hours later.

"Sam! General O'Neill told me you might be coming in. What can I do for you?"

"Oh, just trying to double-check that everything's okay."

Janet looked at her with a concerned eye. "What's up?"

"Well, I've gained some weight and I passed out this morning. And…well, that's…that's not normal. At least for my pregnancies. I mean, I get relatively mild morning sickness compared to some of the women I've talked to, and I NEVER put this much weight this early on."

Janet gave Sam a sympathetic smile. "Okay. I have an exam room ready for you."

Janet let Sam go in and get ready for the examination before she walked in. "Isn't General O'Neill coming?" Janet asked, before hesitantly beginning.

"I'm sure he'll be here when he can. It's just…he's really busy." Sam said, a sad but understanding smile on her face.

"You miss him, don't you."

She nodded. "I mean, it's stupid. I see him everyday, but…I still miss him. It's like…It's like I can't get enough of him."

"Enough of who?" Jack asked, walking in with a knock.

"Oh…just this man I work with." Sam said, nonchalantly.

"Really…and just which man would this be?"

"The hottest man on the base." She said, with a smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah…he's got a funny name."

"What name is that?"

"Teal'c."

Jack grimaced. "Oh…I SO didn't need THAT picture."

Janet chuckled. "You're just in time for the sonogram, General."

"Sweet."

"Well, from your first examination, we've determined that you are about ten weeks pregnant. That's far enough along to hear a heartbeat. So…"

She turned on the machine, and a faint whooshing sound was emitted by the small radio-like device. Janet's eyebrows were knitted together in concentration. Both parents' faces looked similar. "Is that…?" Sam asked, listening intently to the sound of her baby's heartbeat.

"Two heartbeats?" Jack asked, finishing his wife's sentence.

Janet nodded with a deep breath. "That's…that's certainly what it sounds like."

"Well, it would explain the extra weight." Sam said, logically.

"And the drastic change in the severity of your average, run-of-the-mill side effects. Morning sickness, mood swings, even attachment, and a number of other expected symptoms of pregnancy have a tendency to worsen with a multiple pregnancy."

"Attachment?" Jack asked, confused.

"She's saying that I never want you to leave my sight…unless you're hovering."

"Ah." He said, finally comprehending the doctor's comment. "So…in order to still have a happy marriage, I'm going to have to take sympathetic maternity leave? I think I can do that." Jack said, looking the doctor in the eye, seemingly dead serious.

Sam hit him in the arm playfully as she chuckled.

Janet shook her head. "No, General…you don't have to take sympathetic maternity leave. But…I would suggest that you find a co-commander of the base. At least until Sam returns from her own maternity leave. These next six months are going to be filled with twists and turns that you've never expected before." Janet stood. "Due to Sam's age and the fact that you are expecting twins, this is going to be classified as a high-risk pregnancy, and, with your permission, General, I would like to bring in some extra help."

Jack nodded. "Anything."

"Well, while this won't affect the actual due date, this will mean that chances are, you will deliver early."

Sam nodded.

"Now, you're due on April 14th. I'd like you to carry up until the 38th week, but…you could deliver anywhere after the 30th week which places you at February 3rd."

"February?" Sam asked, concerned. "Isn't that a little early?"

"I won't lie to you…it is. So, I'd like you to take special care of yourself and avoid delivering that early, but if you do go into labor, we'll be able to take care of that."

"Wow…twins." Was all Jack could say in response.

Sam chuckled. "Yeah…twins. You know what this means?"

He looked up at her, no longer in a daze. "Yes, my love?"

"We're going to have to move."

Jack thought about the size of the house, and…although he desperately wanted to find a way that they would be able to keep the house…Sam was right. And maybe even the cabin. He thought almost bitterly.

"Yeah…and if that's going to be too small, the cabin…well, the cabin's gotta go."

Sam shook her head. "I don't think so."

"You don't?" He asked, surprised.

"Well, think about it. When we're there, we're hardly inside. And, when we are, right now, we're all in bedrooms. How fun would it be for the kids to all sleep in the living room. The twins can share the guest room until they're two or three, and then, we can invite Daniel and Teal'c to come, and all of the kids can be in the living room, Daniel and Teal'c in the guest room and us in the master."

Jack smiled as he realized that it just might work. "Yeah…yeah…" Suddenly, his face fell. "House-hunting."

"Yes?" Sam asked, almost asking what had made him so depressed all of a sudden.

"Do we have to go house-hunting with your dad? Or is he going to do it by himself?"

Sam closed her eyes as if she didn't really want to think about it.

"What are you talking about?" Janet asked, surprised.

"My dad retired from the Tok'ra."

"You're kidding!" Janet exclaimed.

"Nope." Jack confirmed. "He's dating the woman across the street."

"He's dating?"

"Oh yeah…" Sam said, shaking her head. "We met her last night. Well…actually, we met her a long time ago, since she'll watch Grace and JJ for us every once in a while, but…we had a night of adult company at her house. Just Dad, Maria, Jack and me."

"Sounds like fun." Janet said, sincerely.

"Oh…it was. I just…" Sam swallowed down the tears that begged to be shed at the sudden reminder of her friend's death.

"We found out that it's a small world." Jack said, quietly, ending all discussion.

"Oh."

"Well, on to the actual image portion of the sonogram." Janet said, effectively changing the topic. "You guys ready?"

Both took a deep breath. "Yeah." They said, nodding.


End file.
